


Do You Like Me?

by orphan_account



Series: Stupid Dorky Love Story [1]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Acquaintances to Friends to Lovers, Awkward first encounters, F/F, I Tried, M/M, Prequel, bullshit, that should be a tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-02
Updated: 2014-08-02
Packaged: 2018-02-11 11:12:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2066019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Hey. How did you meet Eren?”<br/>“Well, I almost hit him with my car.”</p><p>//The story of Eren and Levi's legendary first meeting told first-hand.//</p>
            </blockquote>





	Do You Like Me?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ray_pickingroses](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ray_pickingroses/gifts).



> It's a... prequel(?) to "Do You Love Me?".
> 
> I don't know how summaries work, what the fuck.
> 
> And I had no intention of writing this. But Kouhai wanted it. It is Kouhai's birthday, so she gets what she wants. Happy birthday you fucking Hershey canoe.

"I hate him."

"Eren-"

"No, for real, Armin."

Pushing the exit doors of the movie theater open and cringing slightly at the bright sunlight coming from outside, Eren lifted a hand to his eyes to shield them. Armin followed at his heels, half a bucket of popcorn in his possession.

"You don't hate him, you just dislike him."

Green eyes rolled, annoyed. "No, I'm pretty sure I hate him."

The two passed the ticket booth and trudged across the parking lot, the lot that wasn't quite full because it was barely passing noon on a Thursday. "You've known him for a while, you don't hate him. He just irritates you, Eren. You have anger issues. We've covered that."

"He's a prick, don't defend him." Eren grumbled.

"I'm not defending anyone! I'm only saying. You don't hate Jean. Friendly rivals. That's what you guys are."

"We're not Pokemon trainers, Armin."

The blond laughed at this and shook his head. He stopped at the edge of the sidewalk and turned to look back at the theater, noticing the line wasn't too long, and he wondered if Jean and Connie had been inside long. The golden duo that was Eren and Armin had made a run-in with Jean and Connie on the way out of the showing they were at, on the way to take a monster of a piss, and Jean and Eren had gotten in a little spat. One caused by Eren, who made a snide comment about Jean's stupid new haircut, and Jean lashing back. needless to say, they were almost kicked out of the theater because of it. _Not like it matters anyway,_ Eren had said in the bathroom, _we already saw what we wanted, mother fucker._

Looking forward again, Armin saw Eren already crossing the street, waving his arms about as though still complaining and thinking Armin was still at his heels. "Eren-"

It happened pretty fast, and the sound was awful. Car tires screeching to a halt combined with a screeching, possibly-near-shitting-himself Eren, and Armin wasn't sure how to react. When he finally realized that Eren hadn't actually been hit, he let out the breath he didn't know he was holding.

"Holy shit!" Eren finally let out. "Oh my god, I-"

"Fucking seriously?" Armin could hear the driver's voice from his spot on the sidewalk. "Are you fucking stupid, kid?"

"I didn't even see you!" Eren shouted, defensive and still coming off his _I was almost hit by a car_ high. Through the windshield, he saw a very particularly pissed off pair of eyes accompanied by an equally annoyed expression. He swallowed hard and retreated back to Armin. The driver looked out the passenger-side window, giving Eren a harsh glare, then his face softening slightly before driving off. Eren exhaled, looking at his friend. "That was terrifying."

"You almost died." Armin pointed out, voice shaking slightly. He almost saw his best friend get hit by a car, give the kid a break.

"Let's not tell Mikasa about this, okay?"

"Good idea."

-

"You look angry."

Levi ignored his best friend's amazing ability to point out the obvious as he took his seat across from the man in the booth and leaned back against the cushion, a long sigh pushing from his lips. "I am, Erwin."

"Well, that's nothing new," Erwin grinned. Levi rolled his eyes and laid his cheek on his hand, staring at the small red basket of bread-sticks. "What happened?"

"I almost ran over some kid on the way here. Or... a teenager. An asshole. I almost ran over some asshole on the way here."

Erwin's grin faltered. "How?"

"I took a sharp right and crashed into the movie theater looking for a pair of big green eyes to crush under my tires." Erwin snorted and Levi glared pointedly. "What do you mean _how_ Erwin, he walked _in front of_ my car."

"There's no need for sarcasm, it's a good day. Be happy today."

"I'll be happy when assholes stop walking out in front of my car." Levi took one of the bread-sticks from the basket and bit into it. "Fucking fresh, thank god for Petra."

"She's not working today." Erwin said.

"Oh."

They were both silent for a few minutes, Levi chewing on his bread stick, the small red-headed waitress Levi dubbed as Little Ral coming to take his drink order, then coming back with said drink. Then she came back and took their meal orders.

"So, other than hitting some kid?"

"I didn't hit him. I _almost_ did. Anyway... I've been thinking about going back to school."

"Oh?"

"University." Levi continued. "Like, studying abroad. I mean, I have the money for it, and I have the credits for it... most of 'em, I think. I don't know."

"You should. it'd be a good experience." Erwin said. "Where?"

"I was thinking England... Germany... France. Europe. I've always wanted to go there anyway, family heritage or some bullshit." Levi explained.

Erwin took a long sip of the coffee he had ordered just before Levi arrived. "Speaking of your family -"

"Erwin, please." Levi's voice was flat. Erwin nodded, dropping the subject.

-

Two days passed since the incident in front of the movie theater, both Eren and Armin opting not to tell Mikasa (both feeling she would quite literally try to track the driver down and kill him if), and now the brunet was doing grocery shopping for said sister. The list she gave him wasn't too long, and he knew it shouldn't take him ten minutes to find the god damn toaster waffles, but it did.

Being the child he could be sometimes when he came upon an empty aisle, he decided to do the only thing shopping carts were good for, and raced down the aisle. He and Jean did this once at the mini-mart and got kicked out, but that was a story for another day. He stopped himself at the end of the aisle and grinned, taking up a gallon of milk. He hadn't even been paying attention to which aisle he was headed to, but hey. Look at that. Happy accident.

"Mature," he heard a man mumble from a few feet away.

"I'm a responsible adult." Eren replied jokingly, dropping a tube of Go-gurt in his cart. The man snorted and Eren grinned, glancing over in his direction. He was looking down at his phone, a hint of a smirk playing at his lips. When he looked up at Eren, the brunet's breath caught in his throat. The other seemed to notice at the same time Eren did, and looked away. "Um... hi." Said Eren.

"Hello." Replied the other.

Ah, yeah. It's always awkward to randomly encounter the person who almost hit you with their car.

Eren shouldn't feel the need to talk to him, to apologize for running in front of his car, or expect an apology for almost getting hit himself. But, for whatever reason, he wanted to strike up a conversation with the guy. "Soooo, uh... hi."

"You already said that."

"Sorry."

"Whatever."

Eren's lips formed a hard line. "Okay." A pause. "I'm Eren."

"I don't care."

Brunet brows furrowed, green eyes now filling with determination. "Could you at least try to be friendly? I'm sorry if I ruined your day on Monday somehow? Or whatever, but I'm trying to be nice."

The other glanced over in Eren's direction. "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"The sound of me caring."

The brunet groaned and jerked his cart back. "Okay, god, whatever. Fine, sorry for bothering you." Eren began pushing his cart away but came to an abrupt stop. He whipped his head around, turning back to the man who was now examining a carton of eggs. "You know what? Not sorry. You could've killed me."

"Look both ways, moron." Was the flat reply.

"You must have been speeding." Eren said.

"You must have been dropped on your head as a baby."

"Dude, could you stop being an asshole for five seconds?" Eren shot back.

The man just rolled his eyes, placed the eggs in his cart, and walked down to the next aisle. Eren should have stopped there. But, ha, no. Freshly seventeen and not the kind of person to put up with bullshit, he pursued the other. And it wasn't until they were in a checkout line that the other noticed. He had been half-turned to look at a magazine when he saw Eren's sharp green glare directed at him.

"There are like twelve other lines you could be in-"

"What's your name?"

"This again?" He sighed. "If I tell you will you leave me the fuck alone?" A woman in front of him glared at him over her shoulder as if the small, sleeping baby in her arms was going to wake up and shout 'fuck' as it's first word (get real, lady).

"Probably." Eren answered.

"It's Levi. Go away."

"I'm already in line, might as well check out."

Levi turned his back to Eren, done with his shit for the day. Eren felt like a winner.

-

"I'm tired and I hate everything." Levi was happy to have his coffee in his hands nearly as soon as it was set on the table, courtesy of Mr. Ral. Erwin arched an eyebrow at the shorter man, urging him on because he had nothing to go on as to why his best friend would randomly say it. "I didn't sleep last night."

"Coffee won't help that." Erwin smirked.

It had been a week and a half since Levi's run-in with the brat he nearly ran over, completely forgetting the kids name an hour after hearing it at the grocery store. He couldn't forget those god damn eyes, though. What were they? Blue? Green? A mixture, yeah, with flicks of gold and yellow in the bright glaring lights from the store. Beautiful. Fuck those eyes. He couldn't stop thinking about them. He could match a face to the eyes, but not a name to the face. Not that it mattered. He probably wouldn't see the kid ever again.

Ha. Ha ha. Ha.

The bell above the door to signal new customers jingled and the noisy voice of a group of teenagers filled the restaurant. Levi massaged his temples, looking down at the half-eaten pizza remaining on his plate, tired of all the noise and everyone's bullshit, including his own.

"Table for... nine?" Little Ral counted at the register, said something about having to move tables together, and lead the group of teens closer to Levi and Erwin's table.

They were seated about two tables down, one of which was pulled over to their selected table and they all sat around it. Little Ral took their drink orders and walked off to fulfill them.

"Have you ever tried sleep medicine?" Erwin piped up, drawing Levi's eyes up from the table. "It could help... maybe."

Levi shrugged. His eyes darted over to the group of teens, a voice to match the eyes suddenly spouting out a "SHUT UP, JEAN". Levi slumped in his seat, a deep groan resonating deep in his throat, and of course, those eyes had to land on him for _half a second_.

The brat was over at Levi and Erwin's table in .005 seconds. "Hi, Levi," his smile was annoyingly pleasant.

"Hi." The reply was forced. "Go away."

"No, wait... I- uh," Eren tried.

"Levi, be nice." Erwin said. "Who's this?"

"The kid I almost wrecked last Monday." Levi mumbled.

"Hello," Erwin greeted the brunet properly, that winning Captain America smile painted on. "I'm sorry about him, he's an asshole."

Levi gaped and Eren grinned. "Yeah, I know." This boy must be known for his pauses if not his eyes. "I'm Eren."

"Erwin." Obviously, said Erwin.

After a bit of chit chat between Erwin and Eren, the brunet went back over to his own table and talked amongst his friends.

Levi wanted to go home and sleep. He was too tired to even drive to lunch - Erwin had to pick him up. He finished his pizza while Erwin talked about some big corporate thing that he knew meant next to nothing to Levi but told him about anyway, and when Erwin decided he wanted to order dessert because he had time for it, Eren had slipped back over to their table.

"What is it now, brat?" Levi groaned.

"Well, uh," Eren began, looking back at his friends, most of whom had looks of _go on_. He turned back to Levi. "If you're not busy I was wondering if you wanted to see a movie?" When Erwin choked on his cheesecake, Eren realized his mistake. "I-I mean, both of you, if you're up for it, to go with me and my friends," another famous pause, his green eyes locked on Levi's steel blue ones. "Kind of an apology...ish, for last Monday."

Levi stared at him as though he had grown an extra head.

"I'll pay for you. Both of you, if you want to go," Eren added quickly, glancing at Erwin then back at Levi.

"Sounds fun." Erwin said. Levi looked at him. "I have to get back to work, but Levi can go." He was holding their bill, opening his wallet, and going up to pay before Levi could even blink.

"Eat an entire ass, Erwin, I'm not-" Erwin was at the front before he could finish. Levi's eyes return to the bratty-lump sitting a foot away from him. "No."

"Please? Come on, I want to... I want to be your friend, because I was kind of an asshole to you at the store."

"I know."

"Please?"

 Levi sighed. "You're in high school, right? I'm a bit too old to be hanging out with you."

"I'm seventeen and a junior, almost a senior in high school." Eren said, matter-of-factly. "But age isn't really the issue here, is it? You just don't like me because I was mean to you."

Levi rolled his eyes. "I don't get offended easily you little prick. If I didn't like everyone who was ever mean to me, I wouldn't have any friends."

"You have friends?"

"A-plus friend making skills you have, fuckwit."

Eren sighed. "Come on, just... just come to the movies with us. I'll buy your ticket and whatever you want to snack on or drink, and I won't bother you. I just want to pay you back."

Levi arched a brow. "You realize you didn't total my car or anything, right? You don't have anything to pay back."

The brunet ignored basically the entire sentence. "Please?"

Erwin came back, bill paid and awaiting Levi's answer just as much as Eren was.

The black haired man sighed. "Fine."

Erwin, however, did not end up going, and Levi got to ride in Eren's car with the brunet, his blond friend that Eren introduced to Levi as Armin, another blonde named Annie, and Eren's sister Mikasa. Levi noted that Mikasa didn't look a thing like Eren, but said nothing about it, just like Mikasa didn't ask where Eren and Levi met (Armin and Eren both aggressively blocking the possibility of her ever finding out, espically when he was sitting right in front of her). Behind them were Eren's other five friends who Levi didn't care to remember the names of as he sat, arms crossed in the passenger seat.

When they arrived at the theater, the nine teens all argued profusely about what movie they should see. Levi just stood there, eyeing them all, waiting for them to shut up and decide on one. Eventually Mikasa and Annie convinced everyone that the new action-movie-with-a-female-protagonist was the best choice, the guy with the douchey undercut (not at all like Levi's, oh no) and the short kid with the buzz-cut wanted to argue, but then the shorter-than-Annie blonde told them to politely suck it up.

Eren did indeed buy Levi's ticket and popcorn, much to Mikasa's confusion, and they all entered the theater. They sat near the back, Levi closest to the wall, Eren beside him, and everyone else sort of scattered within the rows near them, but still close enough to talk.

And talk they fucking did.

For the whole movie.

The only ones not talking were Armin, the shorter-than-Annie blonde, and the tall freckled chick, but that was only because the two girls were making out and Armin was really into this movie. Eren kept trying to tell Levi things, which the older man would simply shush him.

After the movie (which lasted way too long, in Levi's opinion), the group of teens decided to hang around the theater for a while, stores and such being piled beside and around it. Eren asked Levi if there was any chance he'd be willing to hang out with them longer, and Levi just cut him a look that could slice him in half. So Eren bid his friends a quick farewell and got in his car, Levi climbing in the passenger seat again, and the rise was mostly silent.

Up until Eren said, "I have no idea where you live."

Directions were given.

Several times.

In _detail_.

"How do you not know how to turn left. We have been driving in a circle for the past ten minutes, Eren, turn fucking _left._ "

They did manage to get to the apartment building eventually, Eren gnawing the inside of his cheek, and Levi sighed. Before the older man had his seatbelt unbuckled, the brunet turned to him and blurted out a quick "do you wanna hang out again sometime?".

Levi stared at Eren in slight disbelief. Like, _are you serious right now, I just spent two hours with you and your friends_. Eren cringed at the look and averted his eyes away from Levi's.

"I mean like, just us."

Levi was absolutely silent, just staring almost completely through Eren. The brunet scratched the back of his head as Levi unbuckled his seat-belt, and Eren sighed.

"I'm sorry."

And something made Levi pause. He didn't know what, but he couldn't leave without asking. "What for?"

Eren turned his gaze back to Levi, eyes sparkling nervously, and it tugged at something. "I just, I still feel like an asshole for everything. Made you spend your time going to see a movie you didn't want to see with people you didn't know, talked the entire time... then at the store I was an ass, and then the whole car thing-"

"You know it's not really a big deal, Eren." Levi spoke over him. "The car thing, I mean. You're okay, I'm okay, my car's okay. So it's okay."

The brunet gave a slow nod and looked over the dashboard. "Okay."

Both were silent for a moment, Eren tapping his finger lightly against the steering-wheel, Levi trying to make himself get out of the car, until finally he couldn't take the silence. "Let's hang out sometime. Yeah."

That had Eren's eyes lighting up when he turned toward Levi to agree.

-

Even though Spring Break had ended soon after the previous events, Eren still found time to spend with Levi when the man wasn't busy with whatever it was he did. They mostly took walks together, both stating they needed to be outside more, and eventually came to a sandy area below the nearby highway that moved into the river. It was mostly secluded and calm, noisy but not in the uncomfortable way, and really nice for one-on-one time.

They did spend a lot of time together, which felt kind of weird to both of them. Bonding with the person who almost hit you with their car - bonding with the person you almost hit with your car. And Eren very quickly found himself developing a crush on the older man. Levi was twenty-four, but that didn't bother Eren. He didn't look old, didn't act old, only when he wanted to be an asshole did he make use of the aged-and-more-experienced-than-you card. And he was a nice guy to hang out with.

The two were hanging out when Levi's apartment, watching Tangled, when the brunet couldn't hold it in anymore.

"I like you." He said.

Levi glanced over at him.

"I don't know your preference, guys, girls, uh - vacuums?" An uneasy laugh was forced from the younger. "But, I... really like you. Levi."

"Hm." Levi replied.

"Thanks for the heartfelt response." Eren grumbled.

Levi forced his grin down. "Do you really think I'm attracted to vacuums?"

"I've seen how you get near household appliances that clean." Eren said. Levi laughed. "But... Yeah."

"Poetic." Sitting up straight, Levi folded his arms over his chest. Eren was looking at him, eyes pleading for him to say anything actually pertaining to the subject at hand. "You're not unlikable."

Brows raised, lips parted slightly. "What?"

"I said you're not unlikable."

"Does that mean you like me back?" Eren's voice was slightly softer at this point.

"It doesn't mean that I don't." Said Levi.

"Do you like me?" Eren whined.

"I might."

"Will you go out with me?"

Then Levi smiled. "Yeah."

**Author's Note:**

> i pulled an all nighter and was too tired to finish the whole thing. might add another chapter when i can feel my eyes again.


End file.
